Modern sport bowfishing often occurs at night, shown here on a specialized boat: raised bow platform with powerful floodlights to expose and attract fish during the placid condition of night, often with several bowfishers covering different sectors.
Bowfishing is a fishing technique that uses specialized archery equipment to impale and retrieve fish. A bowfisher will use a bow or crossbow to shoot fish through the water surface with a barbed arrow tethered to a line, and then manually retrieve the line and arrow back, in modern times usually with a reel mounted on the bow. Unlike other popular forms of fishing where baiting and exploiting the fish's instinctual behaviors are important (e.g. angling, netting, trapping, and hand fishing such as noodling), bowfishing is similar to spearfishing and relies purely on the fisherman's own visual perception and marksmanship, and usually do not involve using other tools such as hand net.
Historically, bowfishing was practiced for subsistence, but in the 21st century it has increasingly become an outdoor sport, practiced across the United States that is prone to excessive wanton waste.[1][2][3][4][5] Sport bowfishing is unregulated and unmanaged as of 2023, but the practice is increasingly gaining attention and study across disciplines.[1][4][6][3][7][8][9][5] Due to the lethality of the bow or crossbow, catch and release is not possible with bowfishing.[8]
^ abCite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abLackmann, Alec R.; Bielak-Lackmann, Ewelina S.; Jacobson, Reed I.; Andrews, Allen H.; Butler, Malcolm G.; Clark, Mark E. (30 August 2023). "Harvest trends, growth and longevity, and population dynamics reveal traditional assumptions for redhorse (Moxostoma spp.) management in Minnesota are not supported". Environmental Biology of Fishes. doi:10.1007/s10641-023-01460-8. ISSN 1573-5133.
^Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abMontague, Graham F.; Schooley, Jason D.; Scarnecchia, Dennis L.; Snow, Richard A. (5 May 2023). "Bowfishing shoot‐and‐release: high short‐term mortality of nongame fishes and its management implications". North American Journal of Fisheries Management. doi:10.1002/nafm.10904. ISSN 0275-5947.
^Long, James M.; Snow, Richard A.; Shoup, Daniel E.; Bartnicki, Jory B. (9 June 2023). "Validation and Comparison of Age Estimates for Smallmouth Buffalo in Oklahoma Based on Otoliths, Pectoral Fin Rays, and Opercula". North American Journal of Fisheries Management. doi:10.1002/nafm.10865. ISSN 0275-5947.
short ranges associated with bowfishing. Lighted nocks, and other custom features for arrows associated with night bowfishing are commonly available. Line...
rod-and-line, and as lethal bowfishing has also increased in the 21st century. Although commercial harvest is regulated, sport-kill bowfishing is not. The bigmouth...
and arrow has emerged and has quickly made them easy targets of night bowfishing. They are now de facto game fish across much of their range, are in decline...
rod-and-line, and they have rapidly become sportfish as modernized night bowfishing has become increasingly popular since 2010 - a sport that targets this...
only four specimens were captured. Threats and issues include loss, bowfishing, modification or fragmentation of large river habitat caused by dams in...
spearfishing, which is done with a speargun or harpoon usually while diving; and bowfishing, with is done from above the water with archery equipments such as a compound...
bowfishing, a sport which disposes whole-bodied native fish by the ton, including silver redhorse. In Minnesota, 21st century tournament bowfishing of...
Arash Arab archery Archery Association of India 3D archery Bow draw Bowfishing Bowhunting Clout archery Field archery Gungdo Kyūdō Kyūjutsu Modern competitive...
Flu-flu arrow Release aid Quarrel Quiver Target Thumb ring Activities Bowfishing Bowhunting Bowyer Clout archery Field archery Popinjay Target archery...
flooded in the spring. Spearfishing in this manner has some similarities to bowfishing. This is a list of equipment commonly used in spearfishing. Not all of...
(136,078 kg) in recent years. Due to its abundance, many states allow bowfishing and other non-conventional means to harvest the fish. Lucky stone NatureServe...
their large size, trophy potential, and fighting ability. The Texas state bowfishing record was set in 2001 by Marty McClellan with a 290 lb (130 kg) alligator...
Flu-flu arrow Release aid Quarrel Quiver Target Thumb ring Activities Bowfishing Bowhunting Bowyer Clout archery Field archery Popinjay Target archery...
Flu-flu arrow Release aid Quarrel Quiver Target Thumb ring Activities Bowfishing Bowhunting Bowyer Clout archery Field archery Popinjay Target archery...
legal, by snagging with a weighted treble hook through the water. When bowfishing, Bighead carp cannot be shot in the air like silver carp, because they...
used by aromantic people to refer to themselves. Archery Arrow poison Bowfishing Crossbow bolt, also known as a "quarrel" Early thermal weapons Fire arrow...
bowfishing and wanton waste in the 21st century. In some states like Minnesota, shorthead redhorse disposal from 21st century tournament bowfishing exceeds...
Bulgaria in 2009. The fish are also popular sport fish in areas where bowfishing is legal. Where grass carp populations are maintained through stocking...
three to six meters (3.5 to 6.5 yd). Bowhunting for fish is called bowfishing. Bowfishing equipment usually adds a line attached to a spool or a reel as well...
fish. In the United States, silver carp are also popular targets for bowfishing; they are shot both in the water and in the air. In the latter case, powerboats...
an aircraft or automotive engine. They are commonly used for fishing, bowfishing, hunting, and ecotourism. Airboats are a common means of transportation...
Flu-flu arrow Release aid Quarrel Quiver Target Thumb ring Activities Bowfishing Bowhunting Bowyer Clout archery Field archery Popinjay Target archery...
Flu-flu arrow Release aid Quarrel Quiver Target Thumb ring Activities Bowfishing Bowhunting Bowyer Clout archery Field archery Popinjay Target archery...
safari/big game hunting, fowling) Bowhunting Sport fishing (angling, bowfishing, spearfishing, big game fishing) Shooting sport Field shooting (metallic...
as different angling methods, sporting opportunities (e.g. modernized bowfishing) and new ways to prepare, cook and consume the fish evolve. In the U.S...
tidal stretch of the lower Connecticut River in southern Connecticut. Bowfishing for carp is a controversial sport. When properly used as part of an integrated...
Fishing techniques include hand gathering, spearfishing, netting, angling, bowfishing and trapping, as well as less common techniques such as gaffing, snagging...
Some fishing spears use slings (or rubber loops) to propel the spear. Bowfishing - uses a bow and arrow to kill fish in shallow water from above. Gigging...
hold due to ecological neglect. For example in the USA, 21st century bowfishing of native fishes, which amounts to killing wild animals for recreation...
Global Information